


Best Laid Plans

by Silverheart



Series: Bats and Birds [20]
Category: Batman: Arkham (Video Games)
Genre: Domesticity, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Ice Cream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-18 20:52:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4720025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverheart/pseuds/Silverheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At least, Tim thought as he viciously stabbed a spoon into his triple chocolate waffle bowl, he had the ice cream now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Best Laid Plans

The day wasn’t supposed to have turned out like this.

He was supposed to have gone to the mall with Barb for a pleasantly domestic date. Just a nice chance to spend time together. Play with silly technology at the Sharper Image. Contemplate a new mattress. Scope out upcoming event and apology-related gifts. Enjoy some ice cream together. 

It did turn out mostly like that. Just with the addition of Jason, and trying to shop for clothes for Jason, who took the attempt in a more sullen and stubborn manner than a goth teenager.

At least, Tim thought as he viciously stabbed a spoon into his triple chocolate waffle bowl, he had the ice cream now.

“…so that’s how Dad’s swearing in went,” she said, “I think there was less firepower present in World War Two.”

“Smart move,” Jason commented, enjoying his own triple chocolate waffle bowl way too much. Tim was slightly offended the Red Hood had gone for the exact same ice cream as he had. He knew it was petty and stupid. 

This had been _his_ date, with _his_ girlfriend. He wasn’t even sure how Jason had gotten mixed up in it. 

Barb had invited him, that was obvious. He glared at her briefly. She caught it and gave an apologetic little smile. 

“I hear you’re rebuilding the Manor,” Jason said, looking up fully from his ice cream for the first time since he’d gotten it. 

Tim had to process that for a moment. “Yeah. It’s slow going, though.”

“Are you going to totally redo it?”

“ _No_. I just…couldn’t. It’s not mine. It never really will be. I hired an architect to take a look at some pictures and design the new building as close to the original as possible.”

Jason cocked his head to the side. “You know, I’d do the same stupid thing.” Well, maybe he wasn’t so bad. “Guess that’s why you were my replacement,” he finished acidly. There was a wild aggression in his green eyes, unsuited to the commercial coziness of the mall food court. 

Tim took his time with his next spoonful of ice cream. Jason was screwed up inside; he didn’t even need the look Barb was giving him to remind him of that. But there was something about the man—besides his recent history of waging war on Gotham, kidnapping Barb, and nearly killing all the people Tim loved— that made Tim want to beat the shit out of him sometimes.

Jason loved to fight. Dick had said that once, long ago, when Tim had been new to the vigilantism. It probably wasn’t a tendency that helped the guy’s mental stability much.

Well, Barb had ruined this date to help Jason out. She clearly felt he needed it. So Tim wasn’t going to rise to the bait.

“Guess so,” he said casually, “Any suggestions on improvements?”

He snorted and looked away. Tim shrugged and concentrated on his ice cream. It was almost gone. That always made him feel disproportionately sad. 

“Add pop-up defenses to the approach,” Jason said.

“There were always cameras there.”

“Yeah, but when something was going on, we had to go handle it, in person, bruises, broken bones, and everything. And whenever anyone decided to hit the Manor, it meant there was something bigger coming.”

Tim thought about it. “Yeah, you’re right. Nothing lethal, though.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “All it would take is a few bullet-ridden bodies and then no one would try it.”

“And Bruce would come back from his grave and put me in it.”

That got him an Arkham sort of grin. “I’d like to see that. Didn’t he beat the hell out of you when Ivy got in your head, once?”

Tim narrowed his eyes. Rising to the bait wouldn’t help, rising to the bait wouldn’t help, rising to the…

That was when he _felt_ Barb’s amusement, almost as a real tangible thing. He and Jason turned to glare at her at the same time.

“What?” Tim asked, not liking that dreamy entertained look.

“Is it Boy Wonders or Boys Wonder?” Barbara wondered aloud, swirling her spoon around in her now empty ice cream cup, “Both sound like a boy band.”

“Please do not tell that idea to Dick.”

Jason chuckled darkly. Jason only ever did anything darkly. “We could all have nicknames.”

“Sure. You’d be the psychotic one.”

“And you’re the replacement.”

Tim forced himself not the punch the psycho in the face and finished the last spoonful of his ice cream, accidentally biting down on his own tongue. 

Barb _owed_ him. Big time.


End file.
